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Thoughts on these supplements?

07-05-2012, 11:27 PM

Hey everyone,

I have a close friend who is trying to eat more primal (currently deployed so options are limited), is working out a lot more, and is starting on some supplements. I was hoping some of you more experienced men can give me some input on these? I was afraid he was getting into steroids, but I don't think these are? But I don't know how to tell. What's the difference between a supplement and a steroid anyway, and are all steroids bad? (or any, if you think they're fine). I found the scientific definition of a steroid but that didn't help me towards knowing how to tell if something is going to have negative side effects. Anyway, here's the ones I'm wondering about, please leave any feedback you have:

Started PB on Monday, June 4. I'm focusing on my health in 2012, including taking natural supplements, zumba and strength training, regular church attendance and studying the Bible, spending time with good friends, and reading more. I want to see what health milestones I can achieve this year!

Comment

None of those are steroids, anabolic steroids are illegal and can't be bought at GNC. Most supplements are pointless, unless you are a competitive athlete/bodybuilder. It's like putting race gas in a ford fiesta.

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They are NOT steroids. Supplements by and large are a HUGE waste of money. These companies prey on the naive. I was there at one time, believing all the hype and throwing money away. I take none of that crap now and get great results!! The bodybuilders who endorse this junk are getting paid to tell you that their physique is a result of said supplement. Their physiques are the result of massive quantities of steroids, GH etc. as well as good genetics for bodybuilding to begin with. Not supplements.

Eat real food, train hard on a regular basis, live an active life, get lots of rest and you are maximizing your genetic potential in every area of life.

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None of those are anabolic steroids. Simplistically speaking, anabolic steroids are used to mimic the effects of testosterone in ones body.

What your friend is supplementing with are actually just fairly standard and commonly used supplements by natural bodybuilders and athletes.. The list you provided is all brand name stuff and not the cheapest way to get the compounds contained within each of the products. The worst part about that list is probably the cost.

MuscleMilk - A Milk Protein supplement
MusclePharm Assault - A creatine + BCAA + electrolyte replenishing supplement(think gatorade) with some caffeine and other little bits and pieces aimed at helping performance in the gym.
BCAA - Branch-chain Amino Acids. If you eat a complete protein source (like meat), you will end up eating BCAAs. He's just getting some extra.
Syntha6 by BSN - A protein supplement comprised of a blend of different proteins (Whey, Milk, Soy)
CellMass by BSN - Creatine + Glutamine (glutamine is the most abundant amino acid in the body) supplement

In short, the big ticket items you are looking at are protein, BCAA's and creatine.

Protein supplements are just a convenient way to up your protein intake.
BCAA's - You can get these from eating complete protein sources but supplementing with BCAA's does have some advantages.
Creatine - Naturally occuring in the body, one of the most effective, tried and true supplements out there. Creatine helps supply energy to cells in the body, particularly muscle. It will boost strength and endurance (to a degree) in the gym. No negative hormonal effects and there is compelling research out there about creatine supplementation helping to prevent degenerative brain diseases.

Fairly typical stuff, nothing to worry about.

Comment

Your friend is far better off using whole foods to get his nutritional needs especially in the beginning. The most important thing about nutrition is timing and volume. When/how much to take your carbs, when/how much to eat your protien, when/how many fats and what types to consume. All this should be learned prior to any supplementation. If your friend is just starting on a training program, depending on what type, he's going to see the biggest gains of his life. That's not because he's supplementing, that's because he's finally working his muscles!

I do agree that the whey protien is a fast delivery of protien but he's way better off eating a steak right after his workout. Anything that has been processed has had something taken out therefore it's no longer a whole food. BCAA's do have advantages if you take them during your workout.

Don't worry about creatine. It's not bad for you but at this stage of the game it's a waste of money.

The only supplements you should be looking at are minerals and vitamins that are depleted during exercise and that we have great difficulty getting during our regular eating program.

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Thank you for all of your informative and helpful replies! And thanks for not harassing me for posting a non-primal question; I trust the opinions of you all more than I would a body building forum! I agree that whole foods are the way to go, but it's tricky to grill a steak after a workout in Afghanistan so maybe supplements are okay while his choices in food are minimal. One I forgot to ask about: I know some people use nitric oxide... Sounds intense and no good to me but what do you all say? Again, thanks for your information and experience!

~Mollie

Started PB on Monday, June 4. I'm focusing on my health in 2012, including taking natural supplements, zumba and strength training, regular church attendance and studying the Bible, spending time with good friends, and reading more. I want to see what health milestones I can achieve this year!

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I'm going to say that he's probably taking supplements that boost NO production in the body. If he was inhaling NO (NO is a gas) he would be high all the time. I don't know what the kids call them now but we used to call them whip its.

Now, NO is a natural product of our body. It's main job is as a vaso dialator. In other words it relax's smooth muscle tissue and allows for more blood to fill the muscle fiber. In doing so it increases the amount of weight one is able to lift, helps with clearing of toxins and biproducts caused in glycolysis and it also helps with fatigue.

One of the main amino acids that increase NO is Arginine. Arginine is considered an essential amino acid as our body doesn't produce it but gets it from other sources like red meat. Most "stacks" that you will find at supplement stores will have some sort of vaso-dialator in them like Arginine. But there in lies the problem. The "stack" also increases heart rate with some sort of stimulant, then thins the blood with something like white willow bark and then relax's the vessel to allow for higher blood flow. So your body pumps thinner blood faster to more space. This can be dangerous.

Arginine on it's own is actually very good for you and is even in different types of baby formula. It's fantastic for cardiac health and has been said to increase growth hormone so by itself great! Unless you've already had a heart attack then consult your doctor. As a "stack" I personally wouldn't recommend it, however on it's own it's pretty awesome. I still wouldn't recommend it for a beginner though. There's no such thing as a short cut!

I also wouldn't recommend it if your friend is taking anything for ED because the two together can cause a sharp drop in blood pressure and can be very dangerous.

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lol I don't know about ED but I'll warn him. So what I'm hearing is that products that increase NO are not terrible in and of themselves (arginine) but when it comes mixed in with a bunch of other stuff, it can get a little crazy, yes?

~Mollie

Started PB on Monday, June 4. I'm focusing on my health in 2012, including taking natural supplements, zumba and strength training, regular church attendance and studying the Bible, spending time with good friends, and reading more. I want to see what health milestones I can achieve this year!

Comment

You don't think quality protein powders and such can be helpful for people who don't have access to whole healthy foods? (and me not knowing about these isn't the point; I'm not the one using them. My friend is so I got curious, haha. My supplements are for depression, memory, etc; gingko, B-vitamins, omegas, etc)

~Mollie

Started PB on Monday, June 4. I'm focusing on my health in 2012, including taking natural supplements, zumba and strength training, regular church attendance and studying the Bible, spending time with good friends, and reading more. I want to see what health milestones I can achieve this year!

Comment

That makes sense. I know he found one sweetened with stevia instead of artificial sweeteners so that's neat. Personally I do have some protein powder from Melaleuca, which is a company that focuses on not using harmful chemicals and such in their products (I mostly like their cleaning products). I use them while I have them, but I don't know that I'd order more... I always sort of feel that it's going to stall out my fat loss, though maybe it really won't. I see you're at 6%; you've obviously found what works for you! Good for you.

~Mollie

Started PB on Monday, June 4. I'm focusing on my health in 2012, including taking natural supplements, zumba and strength training, regular church attendance and studying the Bible, spending time with good friends, and reading more. I want to see what health milestones I can achieve this year!